More than 30 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) coordinators from sub-county and ward levels in Turkana have completed a five-day training on inclusive education, laying the groundwork for county-wide rollout in all the 500+ ECDE centres.
The training was delivered through a joint program by the County Government, Humanity and Inclusion (HI), and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
David Otieno, Head of the HI Kakuma field office, said the coordinators will serve as trainers of trainers and cascade the knowledge of officers under their supervision.
“We look forward to a situation where inclusive education approaches are fully applied so that no child is left behind. This training has helped us build a critical mass of trainers for teachers at the ECDE school and classroom level,” he said.
Facilitated by KICD, the training covered approved curriculum designs and detailed measures to integrate accessibility into school infrastructure.
“Evidence shows that small changes like door width, the design of stairs and ramps, and proper use of space directly improve inclusion. The trainees have been exposed to guidelines for these adjustments,” said John Muhoro of KICD.
Participants welcomed the training, saying it broadened their understanding of inclusion beyond lesson delivery.
“In most cases, people only think of ECDE centres in terms of content delivery. But there are other concerns, such as disability mainstreaming and adjusting the built environment for inclusivity. This training has been an eye-opener,” said trainee David Omakada.
Other trainees confessed to using the wrong approaches before the training, pledging to adopt the right approaches and provide assistance to colleagues under their supervision.
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The training comes amid a rapid increase in the number of ECDE centres, mass recruitment of entry-level teachers, and emerging needs around the inclusion of refugee and cross-border populations in Turkana
By Otieno Sadat
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